A
selection from
Night
Flights III, a collection of short stories by Rodney Chang (2013)

Makapu
Bystander

玛卡普守望者

By Rodney E.J. Chang

作者：罗德尼·常

Hawaiian legend is that Pele, the goddess of Volcanoes, centuries ago,
inhabited Oahu, spending time close to the sea at Makapu cliffs.These are black lava cliffs that tower over the sea, deep blue in the
area.Lore is that Pele used to sit
in a lava formation that fronted a magnificent view of the ocean.Makapu, storytellers claim, was the last spot that Pele lived before
moving permanently to the Big Island.As
the islands' goddess of volcanoes, the action was no longer on Oahu.All its craters were extinct.It
was time for Pele to move on to the the youngest island, still emerging on its
borders from lava flow that rose inside rock formations that began at the floor
of the ocean.

But before
hopping islands, legend tells
of Pele climbing one last time to sit on her lava mound that was shaped
into her chair.To the goddess it
was more than just a chair with the best view (and facing eastward, towards the
new erupting island); it was her temporary throne.

As a farewell to this island, the goddess made her way up by foot
to the formation for a last time, only to find a night fisherman sitting in it!There it was convenient, with the help of his lit torch, to prepare his
fishing gear before hiking further closer to the cliff's edge to fish.

The dark complexion, white-haired Hawaiian man felt a chill engulf
his body.He shivered, thinking the
sensation to be all so strange since it was a windless and balmy summer evening.Then his goose pimples due to the frigidity instantly disappeared and was
replaced with the smell of plumeria blossoms.Where, he thought, was the fragrance coming from?There were no such trees growing on this barren area of the lava cliff.

Keliho, still seated in the lava chair, did not have look up and
around.He momentarily shuddered
when, in this place of barren rocky cliffs and isolation, he felt a human hand
on his shoulder.

科利霍，仍然坐在熔岩椅子上，没有左顾右盼。当他感觉到在这个贫瘠和与世隔绝的岩石峭壁，一个人的手放在他的肩上的时候，他激灵灵打了一个寒颤。

Panic dissipated as quickly as it had arrived when he turned and saw the
face of a beautiful maiden.Now he
knew where the flowery aroma was coming from.The shapely lass had a reef of fresh white plumeria on her head.The band of petals that acrossed her forehead seemed to glow..Maybe, thought the fisherman, it was the harsh light of his torch fueled
with fish oil, or his failing old eyes.The
intruder was the first to speak.

About to go fishing, are you? she said, in a soothing,
kindly voice.

您是想要钓鱼吗？她用一种平静，和蔼的音调说道。

Yes, I'm just about ready to head out.As you can see, I'm just about finished with tying squid tentacles to my
fishhooks. Long ago, the hooks were carved out of fish bones.

是的，我正要准备出发。正如你所看到的，我刚刚把鱿鱼的触角绑到我的鱼钩上。 很久以前，鱼钩是用鱼骨头雕刻出来的

You have the wrong bait for this particular night.

在这个特别的夜晚，您用错了鱼饵。

How can you say that?I've
been coming here for decades; I know the area well....And you're so young...and a woman.

你怎么能这么说？我来这儿已经几十年了；我知道这块地方很不错并且你这么年轻还是个女人。

Hearing this remark, suddenly the woman voice sounded gruffer,
older, and more assertive.

听到这句话，女人的声音突然听起来更加粗哑、更成熟并且更加自信。

Suit yourself.And
where do you plan to try and catch fish on this full moon night?

随您便。在这个月圆之夜，您打算在哪里尝试和捕鱼？

Extending
an arm and pointing, the fisherman said, To the right, abouta half hour's walk along the ledges.

伸出一只手臂并且指着远处，渔夫说，就在右边，沿着暗礁步行半个小时。

There's nothing swimming there tonight.

今晚那里什么鱼都没有。

How would you know?

你怎么知道的？

Because I am a woman and so young? said the stranger,
ridiculing the old man's past comment.

因为我是个女人而且那么年轻？陌生人说到，嘲笑老人之前的评论。

Well, no, answered the veteran fisherman of the area.But because you don't look like a fisherman and I've never seen you
around this area, let alone at night when the fish do bite.

哦，不可能，这个老渔夫回答道。但是因为你看起来不像一个渔夫，而且我从来没有在这附近见过你，更不必说在晚上鱼咬钩的时候。

OK, have it your way.It's
a long night.When you realize you
have been wasting your time, go the other way, or left from this spot in which
you are sitting.

好吧，按您的想法做吧。这是个漫长的夜晚。当您意识到正在浪费时间，试试别的方式，或者离开您正在坐着的这个位置。

Keliho, the life-long angler, didn't know what to say.

科利霍这个年迈的垂钓者，无言以对。

But be assured you still won't catch anything
by following my directions, unless you change your bait to a big piece of raw
aku.She could smell the strong
odor of the fish from within his matted bag.So she knew he had some.

Before the old man could refute her advice, the woman suddenly
disappeared.He heard her last
words, like from a distant voice up in the sky.

在老人可以反驳她的建议之前，这个女人突然消失了。他听到了她最后的话，就仿佛是从遥远的天际传来。

And you dare to have sat on this sacred throne of rock.Such an act is disrespectful and cannot be forgiven.

你竟敢坐在这个神圣的岩石宝座上。这种行为是大不敬并且不能被宽恕的。

The fisherman was ready to go and fish.Maybe, he thought, he shouldn't have drank so much kava before heading
out to fish.Maybe the appearance of
this woman, he reasoned, was a hypnotic narcotic affect from the native drink.He had drunk more than the usual before heading out this night.He dismissed the thought of the woman and went about the busy for which
he had come.The fisher went in the
direction that he had planned,and
used the squid bait that he had already attached to his hook.

After an hour at different spots in the area, the fisherman did
not feel a single nimble.So then he
decided to venture to the other location where the woman had suggested.I was going to try there next anyway, he convinced himself.

After half and hour in the new spot, still nothing took the bait.In the bright moon light he could see the surface of the sea with rolls
of waves splashing in at the base of the cliff below.I might as well switch to the aku bait, he next thought.That's why I bought something else in case the squid failed to attract
the fish.

On the first dunk
with the changed baited hook, the pole bent mightily.

在换完鱼饵第一次下钩之后，鱼竿开始强烈的弯曲了。

It worked!And
whatever is on the hook is huge!In
fact, so huge that he heard his long bamboo pole start to crack.Keliho was old but a strong man.Without
thinking, he wrapped the line around one hand and started to pull with the
other.He went closer to the edge to
get ready to haul the prize in and to catch a glimpse of the mighty fish.

The silvery streak of the side of the fish as it maneuvered to
attempt an escape shone brightly in the moonlight.

鱼在试图逃跑的时候，侧面的银色条纹在明亮的月光下熠熠生辉。

Wow!That's the largest
ulua (jackfish) I've ever seen in my life.I just have to catch it!

哇！那是条我一生中所见过的最大的乌鲁亚（狗鱼）。我一定要捉住它！

The monster was pulling hard but Keliho was determined to win.He got greedy, moving way too close to the ledge to get into the best
position to guide the fish closer.Suddenly
the fish dived forcefully, exerting such strength that it caused Keliho to slip,
lose his balance, and fall over the ledge  right into the dark and turbulent
sea below.

The fish kept diving, taking the fisherman down with him as his
arm was entangled with the line.Keliho
gasped for air, swallowing more water.

鱼继续下潜，把渔夫也一起拖进了水里，因为他的胳膊被鱼线缠住了。科利霍想要喘气，但却喝了更多的水。

His eyes widened when he saw that further down, the fish had
stopped next to the woman that he had met earlier in the evening.It was her alright, but now her eyes were as bright as glowing balls of
hot coal.

当他进一步下沉的时候，他的眼睛大睁着，鱼停在了他当晚早些时候遇到的女人旁边。这正是她，但是现在她的眼睛就像燃烧的煤炭一样明亮。

Before he lost consciousness, he mentally heard her say,

Hmm, this aku is fresh.Thank
you for delivering this snack to me.I
don't particularly care for squid.